10 Horror Movie Backstories That Get Worse The More You Think About It

When we meet Ricky ‘Jupe’ Park (Steven Yeun) in Nope, he’s running a Western-flavoured theme park called Jupiter’s Claim, where he uses his dwindling status as a former child star to draw in the little guests he can. Like many of the other characters, Jupe is obsessed with chasing fame. And when he thinks he’s tamed the UFO terrorising the area, he believes he’s achieved stardom once again. However, all he accomplishes is the demise of himself and others.

Jupe is by far the most interesting and tragic character in the film. His past was marred in horror when the chimpanzee co-star of his sitcom maimed his fellow cast members when popping balloons sent the animal into a rage.

In one harrowing scene, we see the young Jupe hiding under a table watching the carnage unfold. When the chimp calms down and notices the child, he reaches out his hand in a trained action which the youngster mistakes as an act of friendship. It’s at this point the animal is gunned down.

As far as backstories go, Jupe’s is downright chilling. But it’s how it's incorporated into the wider themes of taming nature, which tie directly into Jupe's own fate, which makes his exceptional.